George Oliver Ives Jr.

Buddy Ives passed away on August 28, 2025. Buddy was born George Oliver Ives, Jr. on February 14, 1940 to Estelle Stevens Ives and George Oliver Ives at St Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. Buddy is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sondra Marshall Ives,

The Ives family moved to New York state during WWII living in Scarsdale, NY. Although he was young, he remembered seeing Jackie Robinson play in Dodger Stadium during his Rookie year. On V-J Day in August 1945, Buddy’s Mom took he and his sister to Times Square following President Truman's announcement that Japan would surrender, ending World War II. Returning to Houston the family lived the Montrose and West University areas of Houston. He was Cradle Roll at South Main Baptist Church along with his good friend, Governor Mark White. Buddy played sports starting when there were eight Little League teams in Houston in 1949, marking the inaugural year of the program in the city. Starting at age 12, he began playing golf continuing into his 20’s. At Lamar High School he played baseball, holding down first base, and was also on the football team graduating high school in 1958.

Buddy went to Baylor University on a baseball scholarship, graduating in 1962 with a degree in Journalism. First job was on the Temple Daily Telegram covering sports which consisted of high school football games. In 1963, he returned to Houston to cover sports at the Houston Post. Mickey Herskowitz assigned him to cover the original Houston Apollos hockey team, a minor league farm club of the Montreal Canadians. In March 1963 he enlisted in the Army Reserves, serving until 1970. Changing gears, he joined the public relations firm of Rives, Dyke & Co. which, at the time, was handling the advertising for the reelection campaign of U.S. Senator John Tower. In 1968 that led to a move to Austin to work for the Republican Party of Texas as Director of Public Relations with 6 elected Republicans in office state wide. Returning to Houston in 1971, he freelanced as a journalist/public relations expert. His Dad had worked for Gulf Publishing, retiring in 1974. Buddy joined Gulf Publishing in 1975 as Construction Editor of Pipe Line Industry Magazine until 1981. From 1981 to 1991 he was in Sales for Pipeline & Gas Journal at Edgell Communications. Returning to Gulf Publishing in 1991 to Pipe Line & Gas Industry Magazine where he was Editor and Publisher until the Magazine closed in 2001. From 2002-2007 he as Editor and Publisher of Pipeline and Gas Technology at Hart Publication.

In retirement he continued his volunteer work at Second Baptist Church-Woodway Campus, serving for 40 years in the Tech Department and where he served as a Deacon. In the 1980’s he took up the hobby of wood carving. He excelled in carving realistic ducks, song birds and birds of prey. He enjoyed watching Baylor Football, any golf tournament, the Astros and all the NCIS reruns. He loved reading espionage novels by Daniel Silva, David Baldacci, Brad Thor and Michael Connelly. We had to take his IPad to every doctor’s appointment so he could read

Buddy is survived by his nieces Laura Lacina Endsley and Teresa Lacina Johnson; his nephew Thomas Michael Lacina; great nephews Kevin T. Fox; Christopher M. Fox; Theodore Thomas Lacina; Benjamin Michael Lacina; great nieces Kristen Ives Johnson and Kendall Eve Johnson; his sister-in-law Kristi Ann Stull and nephew Sam Marshall Stull and 4 great-great nieces and 1 great nephew. Preceded in death by his parents, George Oliver and Laura Estelle Ives; his sister and brother-in-law, Peggy Jean and Theodore Thomas Lacina; and great nephews Colton Jeffrey Johnson and Kyle James Johnson.

A memorial service will be held at 1 PM on Monday, September 8, 2025, at Second Baptist Church-Woodway Campus (6400 Woodway Dr, Houston, TX 77057), in the Hankamer Chapel. Reception to follow in the Deacon’s Parlor.